Writer and Author Salary in the U.S.
Median annual pay in the U.S.
$76,910
$36.98/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,310 | $21.31 |
| 25th percentile | $58,230 | $28.00 |
| Median | $76,910 | $36.98 |
| 75th percentile | $101,950 | $49.01 |
| 90th percentile | $139,870 | $67.25 |
Employment
- Employment in the U.S.
- 47,940
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Comparison
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | ||
| 1st | $129,300 | $117,651 1st |
| Maryland | ||
| 2nd | $104,330 | $99,401 3rd |
| Connecticut | ||
| 3rd | $98,460 | $95,029 5th |
| Vermont | ||
| 4th | $94,430 | $96,398 4th |
| Louisiana | ||
| 5th | $89,520 | $101,489 2nd |
| California | ||
| 6th | $86,480 | $78,107 11th |
| Washington | ||
| 7th | $85,700 | $80,084 9th |
| Massachusetts | ||
| 8th | $85,260 | $80,619 8th |
| Virginia | ||
| 9th | $85,000 | $84,072 6th |
| New Jersey | ||
| 10th | $81,590 | $74,987 15th |
| Oregon | ||
| 11th | $80,540 | $77,921 12th |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| 12th | $77,410 | $79,336 10th |
| Colorado | ||
| 13th | $76,830 | $74,555 16th |
| Indiana | ||
| 14th | $75,820 | $81,239 7th |
| Georgia | ||
| 15th | $74,710 | $77,586 13th |
| Minnesota | ||
| 16th | $72,810 | $73,828 17th |
| New Hampshire | ||
| 17th | $71,830 | $68,958 24th |
| Rhode Island | ||
| 18th | $70,190 | $68,625 25th |
| Texas | ||
| 19th | $69,990 | $72,112 20th |
| Illinois | ||
| 20th | $68,220 | $68,249 27th |
| Florida | ||
| 21st | $68,080 | $65,832 30th |
| Alabama | ||
| 22nd | $66,950 | $75,375 14th |
| Ohio | ||
| 23rd | $65,930 | $71,065 22nd |
| Kansas | ||
| 24th | $65,840 | $73,100 18th |
| Nebraska | ||
| 25th | $65,470 | $72,661 19th |
| Utah | ||
| 26th | $64,530 | $65,271 31st |
| West Virginia | ||
| 27th | $64,410 | $71,969 21st |
| Wisconsin | ||
| 28th | $64,370 | $68,410 26th |
| Nevada | ||
| 29th | $63,910 | $63,923 35th |
| North Carolina | ||
| 30th | $63,660 | $67,489 28th |
| Iowa | ||
| 31st | $61,010 | $69,518 23rd |
| Tennessee | ||
| 32nd | $58,870 | $64,080 32nd |
| Oklahoma | ||
| 33rd | $58,770 | $66,903 29th |
| Missouri | ||
| 34th | $58,140 | $64,019 33rd |
| South Dakota | ||
| 35th | $56,700 | $64,006 34th |
| Idaho | ||
| 36th | $56,360 | $59,019 37th |
| Arizona | ||
| 37th | $55,990 | $55,613 39th |
| Mississippi | ||
| 38th | $54,180 | $62,310 36th |
| South Carolina | ||
| 39th | $51,920 | $55,382 40th |
| North Dakota | ||
| 40th | $50,860 | $57,172 38th |
| Wyoming | ||
| 41st | $49,650 | $53,565 43rd |
| Kentucky | ||
| 42nd | $48,780 | $54,104 42nd |
| Arkansas | ||
| 43rd | $47,970 | $55,178 41st |
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Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Public Relations Specialist salary in the U.S.
$74,750/year U.S.
- Advertising Sales Agent salary in the U.S.
$64,820/year U.S.
- Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist salary in the U.S.
$78,760/year U.S.
- Editor salary in the U.S.
$77,920/year U.S.
- Art Director salary in the U.S.
$114,850/year U.S.
- Producer and Director salary in the U.S.
$90,360/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- −0.3%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Writers and Authors; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Last updated